Chaeto not growin

jason604 · #1 11-12-2013, 10:02 AM

I bought a handful of chaeto from JL about 4-5 months ago and put them in my sump and it hasn't grown even a teeny tiny bit lol. I used one of them plant growing light bulbs from Home Depot that's dipped green or blue cant remember 60w. Since it burned last month I'm using a reg 60w bulb. I sure it's prob cuz of my lights. If that's the case is there any cheap lights that will promote its growth? I've read about other reefers chaeto growing like mad. Does growing even matters for my water quality? The chaeto is still as green as ever.

Madreefer · #2 11-12-2013, 10:50 AM

I cant grow it either, but i like it that way. I've tried tumbling it and different lights and still nothing.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-01/sl/

HaZRaTTy · #3 11-12-2013, 12:44 PM

Take this for what its worth,

When I first added a ball of cheato to my refugium it didn't appear to be growing either but after 5-6 months it wouldn't stop it quickly tripled and took over the space in my refugium in no time. It grew so fast I couldn't give the stuff away fast enough.

Give it time, all I used was a 6500k bulb from HD

Proteus · #4 11-12-2013, 04:02 PM

I couldn't grow it either. It would disintegrate and litter my tank.
I know there are no measurable nutrients in my tank.

I do wonder though if macro algeas happen to give off benificial compounds to our tank inhabitants

FWC · #5 11-12-2013, 05:04 PM

My Chaeto grew like mad for the first several months, than just kind of stopped. It doesn't die out at all, but it doesn't grow either.

IanWR · #6 11-12-2013, 05:50 PM

I assume that even simple plants like chaeto still need a supply of nitrate and phosphate to grow. If one ran GFO, had a lot of good mature liverock, didn't feed heavily, etc I imagine you could end up in a situation where the plants were starved. Maybe they stopped growing because your phosphates and nitrates were very low? If thats the case, then yahoo! mission accomplished.